Belarus and Mr Lukashenko have been thrust back onto the world stage here. What do you see for the country's role in the war from here on out? Well, I think that part of this deal will be that Lukashenko doesn't have to contribute troops to the Ukraine war effort. He really does not want to get involved in this war. It would be extremely unpopular with people at home. If Wagner continues to exist as an entity inside Belarus, that it could mount operations from Belarus into Ukrainian territory. That's probably what the deal will look like, whether that actually does happen in practice. We'll have to wait and see, but I'm sure that's the plan
Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group fighters are said to be welcome in safe-haven Belarus. We ask how Aleksandr Lukashenko, the country’s puppet president, ended up in the role of peace broker. Our correspondent investigates why so many American states are having to bail out public-transport companies. And the diplomatic benefits of wearing red on visits to China.
Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey: www.economist.com/podcastsurvey
For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer